6io Diseases of the Genital Organs 



it gains the general circulation and may be carried any- 

 where. In the puerperal period observations upon such in- 

 vasions of the body fluids by bacteria from the diseased 

 uterus are limited to the profound sepsis induced, which 

 generally destroys the life of the patient. If the invader is 

 less virulent, its effects are not immediately recognized be- 

 cause the uterine disease is so pronounced that it over- 

 shadows all else. Later when a small volume of infection 

 or infection of only moderate virulence enters the blood 

 stream, it may finally become lodged in some remote organ 

 or tissue, establishing lesions and inducing symptoms not 

 directly referable to the infected genital tract. The conclu- 

 sion that such lesions are referable to intra-uterine infec- 

 tion is based upon the fact that they are common in associa- 

 tion with genital infections but are otherwise rare in cows. 



Pyemia of genital origin may occur at almost any period, 

 probably most often during the puerperium, but, as already 

 noted, it may then pass unobserved. It is most frequently 

 observed during the interval following the puerperal period 

 after the close of one pregnancy up to the date of the next 

 conception. Generally the clinical symptoms become obvi- 

 ous at from three to six weeks after the close of pregnancy. 

 I have observed it in pregnancy while the metritis of preg- 

 nancy was laying the foundation for abortion which oc- 

 curred a few weeks later. 



In cattle pyemic arthritis is the most striking and fre- 

 quent type of pyemia due to genital infection. It may in- 

 volve any joint in the body, but is most frequently seen in 

 the stifle or femoro-tibial articulation (pyemic gonitis) . The 

 lameness is usually intense, but may be of any degree. 

 There is usually distinct swelling, most readily detected as 

 a rule at the median side of the femoro-tibial articulation, 

 or revealed by the distension of the femoro-patellar syno- 

 vial bursa. Heat and pain upon pressure are usually recog- 

 nizable by palpation. The uterus shows the presence of in- 

 fection or there is a definite history of the existence of geni- 

 tal disease in the recent past. When involving other articu- 

 lations the symptoms are essentially analogous to those when 

 the stifle is affected. 



